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The Hudson River Today

What is the current condition of the Hudson River and how will it affect you? Cary's David Strayer, Freshwater Ecologist and author of The Hudson River Primer – The Ecology of an Iconic River, discusses the positive effects of the federal Clean Water Act and other government regulations with Jonah Triebwasser and Sarah O’Connell of Radio Rotary.

The Hudson is much cleaner today than years ago, with most of the Hudson today now safe for swimming. However, Hudson River fish are still contaminated with chemical compounds (PCBs), limiting food fish to those that spend most of their lives at sea. Furthermore, alien species, often carried on ships entering the Hudson River from foreign lands, disrupt the Hudson’s ecosystem. Dr. Strayer also discusses future Hudson Valley prospects in the face of climate change, such as the effect of sea level rises on the Hudson River.